Here we will be answering your most commonly asked questions. If you have a query not answered on this site, please submit here
How it began…
The Institutional History Society was set-up in May 2019 to explore the lurid, the scandalous, and often unfair lives, treatments and crimes of people from times gone by.
Daniel Shepherd BA, co-founder of the Society, says-
“The past is in constant symbiosis with the future, it feeds our impending actions, explains deep-held sentiments and can constrain us with outmoded prejudices: none more so than our attitudes towards the mentally ill, the poor and imprisoned. These people, by virtue (or ill-fortune) of genetic, class or circumstantial quirks, were forced to the fringes of society, incarcerated, mistreated, sometimes experimented upon and then forgotten: unable to give voice to themselves and fated to fade from history. Until now.”
Gem Minter, co-founder and keen advocate of social history adds –
‘We set up this society to battle the erasure of peripheral peoples from the historical record. These inmates, these patients, had lives as exciting and vivid as any baron or poet, they loved, they lost, they endured, but most of all they existed: it’s time we told their stories’.
Their current Project is researching the men’s Woking Invalid Convict Prison, active between 1859-1889, investigating the desultory to the deranged, the dangerous and the detained and everything in-between. Leaving no page unturned, they have already discovered fascinating tales of impropriety in a prison which once housed the likes of Fenians, zoophiles, a Jack the Ripper suspect, and more.
In order to preserve and share these captivating stories, they have created the new website to house archival documents, useful resources, and hundreds of hours of investigative research poured into podcasts, biographies and blogs – all exploring in detail, the histories of antiquity’s forgotten people.
So if you’re interested in historic true crime, want to find out if one of your ancestors was a felon or if you’re interested in volunteering, why drop them an email at institutionalhistory@gmail.com.
History. Herstory. Their story. Yours.
Why did you set up the Institutional History Society?
The Institutional History Society was set up to battle the erasure of peripheral peoples from the historical record. We research the inmates, buildings and staff of some of Britain’s most notorious prisons, workhouses and asylums. These inmates, these patients, had lives as exciting and vivid as any baron or poet, they loved, they lost, they endured, but most of all they existed: it’s time we told their stories. And it’s fun.
How important really is the past?
Quantum phsyics aside, that is the belief all time happens simultaneously and that our history is as immediate as our future and present, the past gives us a multitude of things. Firstly, the past is fascinating, history is a spyglass where we can pry into the lives of people before: their actions, their choices and the consequences. Secondly, we can learn lessons. Crime and punishment have been a facet of the human experience ever since humans first settled down: for as long as there have been societies, there has been a need to regulate, reward and castigate the behaviours of people within and without. Lastly, history provide us with a dry run for things we intend to do in future, if we can learn only one thing from the past which benefits the present or soon to be present, then it is all worthwhile.
How do I research my ancestors?
Well, you’ve made the first step and are in the right place. Huzzah. We have compiled a list of useful resources to aid you in the unpicking of your ancestor’s life. To access the full list of free resources head here.
I have extra information about one of your inmates, how do I submit it?
First and foremost, thank you so much for tasking an interest in our content. Whilst we try to enrich the lives of our prisoners and patients as much as possible, a few facts do slip through the net. If you have found anything which you feel would be of benefit to our readership, please submit to institutionalhistory@gmail.com with a description of the source and an image as well as who it pertains to.
Where can I get help in researching my ancestors?
There are several institutions and sites created to help you research your ancestors. Aside from our site, if you fancy a day out there is The National Archives, The British Library or The Surrey History Centre: these are the main ports of call for any budding or fully-fledged genealogist.